Fabric guide for sewing machines



p 1938' H. HACKLANDER 2,131,007

FABRIC GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Sept. 12, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l w 4 \Y m N mg g INVENTOR:

712L115 imzklandzi; BY

ORNEYS.

, P 20, 1933' H. HACKLANDER 4 2,131,007

FABRIC GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Sept. 12, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR: 715L123 imckmnder, BY

ORNEYS.

P 1938- H. HACKLANDER 2,131,007

FABRIC GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Sept. 12, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet :5

INVENTOR: v 772L215 ifiwklander A TORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

Patented Sept. 20, 1938 2,131,007 FABRIC GUIDE FOR SEWING MACHINES Hans Hacklander, Tinley Park, Ill., assignor to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 12, 1938, Serial No. 100,428

15 Claims.

This invention relates to fabric guides for sewing machines; and it has reference more especially to uncurling guides of the type disclosed in U. S.- Patent No. 1,917,711 granted to me jointly with Frederick F. Zeier on July 11,

1933, for cup feed sewing machines such as are uied in seaming full-fashioned hosiery and the li e.

Inthe patented construction, the manipulation of the guide can be effected only through a co-pivoted finger lever which controls a latch member capable of selective locking engagement with spaced stop notches in the guide circumferentially of its pivot axis, to hold said guide either part way retracted from the feed cups in position for loading, 1. e., for starting the fabric in the guide, or fully retracted for convenience of access to the stitch-forming instrumentalities of the sewing machine.

My invention has for one of its aims, to make it possible to retract the guide from its normal position in relation to the stitch-forming instrumentalities and the feed cups of the sewing machine and to return it, without necessitating the aid of the latch control lever, and at the same time insure its being effectively held in either position.

Another object of my invention is to secure the above advantages with latch mechanism :30 which can be re-arranged or adjusted so that theguide may be manipulated as heretofore,

solely by means of the latch control lever, if its actuation in this manner is preferred by the operator of the sewing machine.

:'5 One way in which the aforementioned advantages can be readily attained in practice will become apparent from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. I is a fragmentary view illustrating in part, the

-10 front elevation of a cup feed sewing machine (which, for example, may be of the kind shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,995,092 granted to N. V.

-Christensen on March 19, 1935) provided with an uncurling guide conveniently embodying my -.-3 invention.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the organization as viewed from the left of Fig. I.

Fig. III is a side elevation of the guide alone as viewed from the right of Fig. I.

Fig. IV is a horizontal sectional view taken as indicated by the arrows IVIV in Fig. I.

Figs. V, VI, VII and VIII are perspective views of various component parts of the guide.

Fig. IX is a reverse perspective view of the part shown in Fig. VIII.

Figs. X, XI, XII, and XIII and XIV are views corresponding to Fig. 11, showing how, in consequence of the present improvements, the guide may be swung from active position to loading position by engaging it directly with the finger, 5 and from loading position to fully retracted position and back with the aid of the latch-controlling finger lever; while Figs. XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX and XX are corresponding views with the latch mechanism 10 re-arranged so that the guide can be swung to its various positions, as heretofore, solely by manipulation of the detent by the controlling finger lever.

In these several illustrations, the guide is 15 generally designated by the numeral I, and shown as having a multi-partite arm which is pivotally connected to the overhanging upper portion 2 of the sewing machine frame wherefrom the feed cups 3 are suspended in horizontal, tangentially-contacting relation. The means (not shown) for driving the feed cups 3, and the stitch-forming instrumentalities (likewise not shown) of the machine may be like those of the Christensen patent supra. At the bottom or swinging end of the arm I is the center blade 4 of the guide which is secured by rivets 5 to the lower end of a medial component 6 of said arm, said component being in turn secured at its top to the wing l of a collar component 8 by a pair of screws 9. At opposite sides, the medial component 6 of the arm I has spaced, outwardlyprojecting, pierced ears I0 which receive pivot pins ll whereto the uncurling members I2 are secured by set screws 13. A coiled spring I5 (Fig. I) passing through a clearance opening in the medial component 6 of the arm I, and in compression between the upwardly and outwardly extending grasp portions I6 01' the uncurling members I2, serves to yieldingly maintain said members in clamping engagement with the opposite sides of the center blade 4. From Figs. 1H and V, it will be observed that the shanks of the screws 9 pass through transverse slots II in the medial component 6 of the arm i; and that the latter is provided with a rearward tongue or rib I8 which fits into a corresponding transverse groove IS in the wing i of the collar component 8. As a consequence of this arrangement, the guide can be adjusted toward or away from the feed cups 3 in the vertical plane through the entrant bight of said cups. The guide is pivotally supported from the projecting portion 2 of the machine frame by means of a bracket comprehensively designated by the numeral 20,

which consists of two parts respectively designated by the numerals 2| and 22 in Figs. I and III, said parts being separately illustrated in perspective in Figs. VII, VIII and IX. The part 2| constitutes the base member of the bracket 20, and as shown, has the form of a plate with a longitudinal rib 23 centrally of its back for engaging a horizontal groove 25 in a pad 26 on the machine frame portion 2, see Figs. I and II. A screw 21 whereof the shank passes through a longitudinal slot 28 in the bracket base member 2| and threadedly engages into the pad 26, serves to secure said member to the machine frame with provision foradjustment so that the center blade 4 of the guide can be accurately positioned in the vertical plane through the entrant bight of the feed cups 3. The other part 22 of the bracket 20 (Fig. VII) has the form of a bearing member with a horizontal journal boss 29, and with a forwardly ofiset upward extension 30 which is vertically grooved at the back as at 3| and provided with a slot 32. The grooved extension of the bearing member 22 engages over a vertical tongue or rib 33, see Figs. VIII and IX, at the front of the bracket base member 2i, which latter is drilled and tapped as at 35 to receive the threaded shank of a securing screw 36 shown in Figs. I and III. The bracket "base member 2| is further provided at one end with a laterally and forwardly offset vertical boss 31 which is tapped to receive the shank of an adjusting screw 38 whereof the head is circumferentially grooved as at 39 to engage a clevised projection 43 on the upward extension 36 of the bearing member 22 of the bracket 20. Thus, by first loosening the screw 36 and thereupon adjusting the screw 38, it is possible to raise or lower the guide as a whole in relation to the feed cups 3.

Having now described the guide insofar as it generally resembles the one disclosed in my patent hereinbefore referred to, I will now proceed to those features which characterize my present invention. By means of a set screw 42 (Fig. I), the collar component 6 of the arm I is secured to one end of a sleeve 43. As shown in Figs. I, IV and V, the sleeve 43 is journaled in the boss 28 of the bearing bracket member 22, and at its opposite end formed with a disk-like head 45 which will hereinafter be referred to as a "stop disk. As shown, the stop disk 45 has a 1 pair of relatively-deep contiguously disposed,

peripheral notches 46, 41 which are spaced by a cam tooth 48 with curved side edges 48a, 48b; and diametrically opposite to said notches, said disk has another pair of deep notches 49, 5'0 spaced by a tooth 5| whereof the side edges are straight and substantially radial. Intermediate the notches 46, 56 and 41, 49, the stop disk 45 is moreover formed with shallower peripheral notches 53, 52, respectively; and on its outer face substantially half-way between the notches 46, 53 and 49, 52, with diametrically opposite stud projections 55, 56. Rotatively free within the sleeve .43 is an axial shaft 51 having an integrally formed or permanently attached latch-control lever 58 at one end thereof. As shown, this lever 56 lies in the plane of the medial component 6 of the arm I, and is forwardly offset to clear said arm component, and moreover, terminates in a roughened finger projection 59. Disposed in abutting relation to the stop disk 45 and secured to the opposite end of the shaft 51, is a latchcontrol disk 66, which has diametral circumferential notches 6|, 62 to clear the stud projections of the disk 45. and a pair of teeth 63, 64 intervening said notches at one side of its periphery. The tooth 63, it will be particularly noted. has oppositely-sloped cam edges 63a, 63b. The tooth 64 on the other hand, has a sloped cam edge 64a only on one side, while its outer edge is recessed part way of its length as at 65 to a depth corresponding to thatof the notches 52, 53 of the stop disk 45.

Pivoted at 66 to a rearwardly and upwardly extending arm projection 61 on the bearing component 22 of the bracket 26 is a latch 68 which overlies the two disks 45, 60, and which is provided with a tooth end adapted to engage the notches 'of the stop disk 45. By means of a torsion spring, the latch member 68 is yieldingly urged toward the disks 45 and 66.

The use of my improved uncurling guide with the stop disk set in relation to the arm i as shown in Figs. I-III is as follows:

Swinging of the guide from its active vertical position of Fig. 11 to the loading position of Fig. XI is intended to be effected by engaging the arm I from behind with a finger after the manner shown in Fig. X. In this movement, the latch 68 will be elevated out of the notch 46 by camming action with the curved side edge 48a of the tooth 48 of the stop disk 45, and, as the movement is continued, said latch will drop into the notch as shown in Fig. XI to hold the guide in angular loading position. Incident to the rotative shift of the stop disk 45 as just described, the pins 55, 56 coact with the edges of the notches GI, 62 in the disk 60 and cause the latter to be shifted concurrently with the disk 45 so that the tooth 63 will under-ride the end of the latch member 68 concurrently with the tooth 48 of said stop disk. Further upward movement of the guide from its angular loading position of Fig. XI to its fully retracted horizontal position of Fig. XII for convenience of access to the stich-forming instrumentalities of the sewing machine, is effected by means of the finger lever 56 in the manner shown in Fig. XII. In moving the lever 58 from the position shown in Fig. XI, it will be seen that the disk 68 is rotated counter-clockwise with incidental lifting of the end of the latch member 68 from the notch 41 in the disk 45 by thecam edge 64a of the disk 66. the lever 58, the edges of the notches 6|, 62 of the disk 66 eventually engage the studs 55, 56 of the disk 45, and cause rotation of the latter with the disk 66 until the notch 52 in said disk 45 is engaged with the latch member 68, as shown in Fig. XII. The return of the guide is eifected in a converse manner, that is to say, the lever 58 is pressed downward as shown in Fig. XIII and upon the induc d rotation of the disk 66 in clockwise direction, the latch member 68 is forced out of the notch 52, and the disk 45 compelled to rotate the same direction through coaction between the edges of the notches GI, 62 in the disk 66 with the studs 55, 56 on said disk 45. At the end of the last-described step, the end of the detent will again drop into the notch 4'! of the disk 45 to hold theguide in the loading position of Fig. XI. To restore it to its active position from the loading position, the guide is moved by pressure of a finger upon the arm I as shown in Fig. XIV, incident to which the end of the latch 68 will be forced out of the notch 41 by the rounded side edge 4% of the tooth 48, and after over-riding said tooth, will drop into the notch 46. During operation of the guide With continued movement of as just explained, it will be observed that the notches 49, 50 in the disk do not function in any way.

When it is desired to manipulate the guide as heretofore, solely by means of the finger lever 58 the stop disk 45 is arranged or adjusted one hundred and eighty degrees from its first position in relation to the arm I as shown in Fig. XV.

In order to swing the guide from the normal or activeposition of the Fig. XV to the loading position shown in Fig. XVII, with the disk 45 reset as just explained, the lever 58 is lifted as shown in Fig. XVI. Due to the anti-clockwise rotational movement thus imparted to the disk 80, the cam edge 83a of the latter displaces the latch member 68 from the notch 49 before engagement takes placebetween the pins 55, 56 on the disk 45 and the edges of the notches GI, 62 in said disk 60 to rotate the disk 45 and thereby move the guide. As the upward movement of the lever 58 is continued with concurrent rotation of the two disks 45, 60 the end of the latch member 68 eventually drops into the notch 50 as shown in Fig. XVII to hold the guide locked in its loading position. To move the guide from the loading position of Fig. XVII to the fully retracted position of Fig. XVIII, the finger lever 58' is further lifted as shown in Fig. XVIII, with the result that the end of the latch member 68 is withdrawn from the notch 50 by the camming action with the edge 64a, of the disk before the pins 55, 56 are again engaged by the edges of the notches BI, 62 of the disk 60 for impartation of concurrent counter-clockwise movement to the disk 45 and the guide until the notch 53 in'the disk 45 is brought into position for engagement by the latch member 58 as shown in Fig. XVIII to hold the guide in its fully retracted horizontal position. Here again, in order to bring the guide back from its fully retracted position to its loading position to normal or active position in respect to the feed cups 3, the preceding operation is reversed. This is accomplished by pressing down the finger lever 58 as shown in Fig. XIX whereby the end of the latch 58 is forced out of the notch 53 by the disk 60 before re-engagement takes place between the studs 55, 56 and the edges of the notches BI, 62 of said disk to rotate the disk 45 and the guide in the same direction. As the concurrent movement of the two disks continues, the end of the detent 68 falls into the notch 50 of the disk 45 to lock the guide in the loading position. Finally, to restore the guide to its normal or ac tive position, the lever 58 is again pressed downwardly as shown in Fig. XX, and through attendant clockwise rotation of the disk 60, the end of the latch member 68 is dislodged from the notch 50 of the disk 45 by the cammed edge 63b of said disk 60 before engagement takes place between the studs 55, 56 with the edges of the notches GI, 62 in said disk 60 to efiect concurrent rotation of the disk 45 and the guide. Eventually, during continuation of this movement, the end of the latch member 68 will drop into the notch. 49 of the disk 45 to re-lock the guide in its normal or active position. It will, of course, be apparent that the guide can be swung from its active position to its fully retracted position and vice versa by one movement without necessity for detaining it in its loading position.

Since the functions of the guide are otherwise exactly the same as in Patent No. 1,917,711, it has not been deemed necessary to describe them herein.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination, a guide for directing fabric to the stitch-forming instrumentalities of a sewing machine; means for supporting the guide for movement to and from operative position; and camming latch means for holding the guide in active and retracted positions with capacity for yielding under pressure exerted directly upon the guide to permit movement thereof from one position to another.

2. In combination, a guide for directing fabric to the stitch-forming instrumentalities of a sewing machine; means for supporting the guide for movement to and from operative position; a stop member connected to the guide and having spaced notches with cam teeth intervening; and a springurged latch cooperative with the individual notches of the stop member to hold the guide in active and retracted positions, but permitting movement thereof from one position to another by exertion directly upon the guide of suiilcient efiort to eifect dislodgment of the latch by the cam teeth.

3. In combination, a guide for directing fabric to the stitch-forming instrumentalities of a sewing machine; a support to which the guide is pivoted for movement to and from operative position; a stop member connected to the guide and having spaced notches with cam teeth intervening; and a spring-urged latch cooperative with the individual notches of the stop member to hold the guide in active and retracted positions, but permitting said guide to be swung from one position to another by exertion directly upon the guide of sumcient effort to effect dislodgment of the latch by the cam teeth.

4. In combination, a guide for directing fabric to the stitch-forming instrumentalities of a sewing machine; means for supporting the guide for movement to and from operative position; a latch for holding the guide in active and retracted positions with capacity for yielding under pressure exerted directly upon the guide to permit movement of the guide from one position to another; and separate means whereby the latch may be released and the guide moved from one position to another.

5. In combination, a guide for directing fabric to the stitch-forming instrumentalities of a sewing machine; means for supporting the guide for movement to and from operative position; a stop member connected to the guide and having spaced notches with cam teeth intervening; a springurged latch cooperative with the individual notches of the stop member to hold the guide in active'and retracted positions, but permitting said guide to be moved from one position to another by exertion directly upon the guide of sufiicient pressure to effect dislodgment of the latch by the cam teeth; and a separate means whereby the latch can be withdrawn from the stop member and the guide moved from one position'to another.

6. In combination, a guide for directing fabric to the stitch-forming instrumentalities of a sewing machine; means for supporting the guide for movement to and from operative position; a stop member connected to the guide and having spaced notches with cam teeth intervening; a spring urged latch cooperative with the individual notches of the stop member to hold the guide in active and retracted positions, but permitting said guide to be moved from one position to another by exertion directly upon said guide of sufficient eifort to eifect dislodgment of the latch by the cam teeth; and separate means having limited independent movement relative to the guide whereby the latch member may be with-,

drawn from the notches of the stop member and said guide shifted from one position to another.

'7. In combination, a guide for directing fabric to the stitch-forming instrumentalities of a sewing machine; a support to which the guide is pivoted for movement to and from operative position; a stop member connected to the guide and having spaced notches with cam teeth intervening; a spring-urged latch cooperative with the individual notches of the stop member to hold the guide in active and retracted positions, but permitting said guide to be swung from one 5 position to another by exertion of sufllcient effort directly upon the guide to effect dislodgment of said latch by the cam teeth; and separate means having limited independent movement on the pivot axis of the guide whereby the latch may be withdrawn from the notches of the stop member and said guide swung from one position to another.

8. In combination, a guide for directing fabric to the stitch-forming instrumentalities of a sew- 5 ing machine; a support to which the guide is pivoted for movement to and from operative position; a stop disk connected to the guide and having spaced notches with cam teeth intervening; a spring-urged latch cooperative with the individual notches of the stop disk to hold the guide the cam teeth; a latch control disk mounted on the pivot axis adjacent the stop disk and capable of limited movement independently of said stop disk; and a finger lever connected to the latch control disk whereby the latch may be first withdrawn from the notches of the stop disk and the guide thereupon swung from one position to another.

9. In combination, a guide for directing fabric between the feed cups of a cup feed sewing machine; means pivotally supporting the guide for movement from active vertical position in suspension to a retracted position and vice versa; and camming latch means for holding the guide in active and retracted positions with capacity for yielding under pressure exerted directly upon the guide to permit movement of said guide from one position to another.

10. In combination, a guide for directing fabric between the feed cups of a feed cup sewing machine; means pivotally supporting the guide for movement from active vertical position in suspension to a retracted angular loading position and vice versa; and camming latch means for holding the guide in its active and loading positions with capacity for yielding under pressure exerted directly upon the guide to permit movement of said guide from one position to another. v 11. In combination, a guide for directing fabric between the feed cups of a feed cup sewing machine; means pivotally supporting the guide for movement from active vertical position in suspension to a retracted angular loading position and vice versa; a stop member connected to the guide and having a pair of spaced notches with a cam tooth intervening;.and a spring-urged latch cooperative with the individual notches of the stop member to hold the guide in active or loading positions, but permitting movement thereof from one position to another by exertion directly upon the guide of suflicient eil'ort to effect dislodgment of the latch by the cam tooth aforesaid.

12. In combination, a guide for directing fabric between the feed cups of a cup feed sewing machine; means pivotally supporting the guide for movement to and from active position; a stop disk connected to the pivot axis of the guide and having a pair of contiguousiy-positioned first and second notches with a cam tooth intervening, and a third notch spaced from the 'others; a spring-urged latch cooperative with the individual notches to hold the guide in active, loading and fully retracted positions with capacity for being swung between its active and its loading position determined by the first and second notches by exertion directly upon said guide of suiflcient effort to effect dislodgment of the latch by the cam tooth aforesaid; and separate means for first dislodging the latch from the second notch of the stop disk when the guide is in loading position, and then swinging said guide to its fully retracted position determined by the third notch.

13. In combination, a guide for directing fabric between the feed cups of a cup feed sewing machine; means pivotally supporting the guide for movement to and from active position; a stop disk connected'to the pivot axis of the guide and having a pair of contiguously-positioned first and second notches with a cam tooth intervening, and a third notch spaced from the others; a spring-urged latch cooperative with the individual notches to hold the guide in active, loading and fully retracted positions with capacity for being swung between its active and loading positions determined by the first and second notches by exertion directly upon said guide of sufilcient effort to eilect dislodgment of the latch by the cam tooth aforesaid; and separate means for swinging the guide from its loading to its fully retracted position determined by the third notch including a latch control lever, and a latch control disk connected to said lever with capacity for limited independent movement relative to the stop disk about the pivot axis of the guide, said latch control disk having a cam edge for first dislodging the latch from the second notch of said stop disk before imparting movement to the guide through the stop disk.

14. In combination, a guide for directing fabric between the feed cups of a cup feed sewing machine; means for pivotally supporting the guide for movement from active vertical position in suspension to retracted position; a stop disk connected to the guide and rotatively adjustable on the pivot axis, said disk having a pair of contiguous notches with a cam tooth intervening, and

a diametrically-opposite pair of notches with straight radial side edges; a spring-urged latch cooperative with the individual notches of the first-mentioned pair in the disk when the latter is set in one position, to hold the guide in active and retracted positions, and with the notches of the other pair when said disk is adjusted one hundred and eighty degrees from the first setting to hold the guide positively locked in active and retracted positions; and a latch control cam disk with a connected actuating lever having limited independent movement on the pivot axis relative to the stop disk, whereby, with the stop disk in swung only after dislodgment of the latch from the stop disk by said lever.

15. In combination, a guide for directing fabric between the feed cups of a cup teed sewing machine; means pivotally supporting the guide for movement from active vertical position in suspension to a retracted position and vice versa; 9.

camming latch means for holding the guide in 

